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If you were to ask any fitness expert to tell you what are the most beneficial exercises you could do on a daily basis, there’s no doubt that one of them would be a squat. This seemingly simple exercise can do quite a lot for your general health if you learn to do it properly. On the other hand, if your form is not right, you risk getting injured and will do more harm than good. So, we feel it’s time you got to know the basics of this simple exercise, proper form, and real benefits of squats. Take a look.
Types of Squats
Although there are numerous variations and combinations of other exercises, we could say that there are two main types of squats – with and without weights depending on what you’re trying to achieve. Using no additional weights besides your bodyweight is great as part of a cardio workout. It helps you strengthen the core and stretch your extremities. On the other hand, adding weights strengthens your muscles and is essential for powerlifting. You can add variations to both types so, for example, with just your bodyweight, you can do the prison squat (where your hands are behind your back), plie squat (often used in ballet), pistol squat (not as violent as it sounds), and a number of other versions. You can also do squats with a barbell, either behind or in front of you, depending on what you’re trying to achieve.
Benefits of Squats
Before we deal with the proper form of a squat, you need to learn what do squats do to your body. If you’ve ever tried doing one, you’ve probably felt your legs and knees do a whole lot of work. Well, squats really do primarily work your quadriceps (muscles above your knee) and your gluteus maximus (a fancy word for your butt). These two groups of muscles are important for overall stability and a strong core. However, if you’re doing squats properly, you’ll also be working the rest of your legs, your back, stomach and a bunch of other muscles, depending on your chosen variation. Strong legs and abdomen are a basis for any other exercise or sport you want to do, so squats are pretty much essential.
Proper Form
So, how do you do a proper squat? Well, the first thing you need to remember always is to keep your back as straight as possible. You’ll want to avoid any arching as it affects the form and may cause injury. You start in a standing position, with your feet apart at a shoulder’s length. When doing a squat with just your bodyweight, you normally clench your hands one in the other and position them in front of yourself as you slowly descend by bending the knees. It is important to make sure your knees don’t go too far ahead of your feet or you could injure yourself. Aim for somewhere around your toes if you can. Also, keep in mind that you don’t actually lower your body all the way down. There is no lower resting position. Instead, you do the opposite and get back up into the standing position. That’s basically it. You can find lots of variations online to help you refresh your daily routine once in a while, so as not to get bored by it.
Mistakes
One of the best ways to make sure you’re doing your squats right is to remember the common mistakes that people encounter when doing them.
- the more the better – this is a common misconception that people have not only when it comes to squats, but pretty much any exercise. They try to do as many squats as they can for as long as they can and suffer dire consequences. The muscles need time to rest, so you’ll need to wait for them to recover before you can stress them again, or you will injure yourself. It’s all about finding the right pace that suits your body and your individual needs.
- you don’t change your diet – doing the exercises is just one part of living healthy. In order to see some serious results from your exercises, you also need to change your diet and your lifestyle. Squats will do nothing for you if you go out drinking every night and don’t care about what you eat. Squats should be an addition to your healthy lifestyle and not something that will magically change your appearance.
- you don’t progress – you should start off slowly, but as soon as you feel like you’re progressing, you should increase the number of repetitions or add some weights. As they say – the only way to achieve something great is to get out of your comfort zone and go beyond what you think you can do. Increase the challenges gradually, but constantly and you’ll see results in no time. You simply need to be persistent.
Now that you’ve read this article, you have no excuse not to start working out today. Choose your favorite squat variations and change your life for the better.
